Transversely folding bed



March 25, 1952 SAWAYA 2,590,129

TRANSVERSELY FOLDING BED Filed Jan. 6, 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET l EEIJRBE K-5AWAYA ATTORNEY March 25, 1952 e. K. SAWAYA TRANSVERSELY FOLDING BED 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Jan. 6, 1949 gvwemtom [5513 R BE KEIAWAYA A'I TORNEY Patented Mar. 25, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRANSVERSELY FOLDING BED George Kalil Sawaya, Hammond, La.

Application January 6, 1949, Serial No. 69,514

4 Claims.

My invention consists in a new and useful improvement in beds and is designed to provide a bed which is expanded for use and collapsed for transport or storage. The particularly novel and useful features of my improved bed are the peculiar structure and relation of the bed posts and a plurality of brace rails, comprising two expansible and collapsible end members, and the means for locking the expanded parts.

While I have illustrated in the drawings and have hereinafter fully described one specific embodiment of my invention, it is to be distinctly understood that I do not consider my invention to be limited to said specific embodiment, but

refer for its scope to the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings: Fig. l is a perspective of my improved bed expanded for use.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, top plan of one end of the expanded bed, parts being broken away.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical section, on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, in the direction of the arrows, the bed being collapsed.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the collapsed bed.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a greatly enlarged top plan of the hinge members for the brace rails of the end members of the bed.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the members of Fig. 6.

'As illustrated in the drawings, my improved bed (Fig. 1) comprises the end members A and B, the side rails C and D, and the legs E and F for the rails C and D, respectively, intermediate the end members A and B. Since the end members A and B are identical a description of one will sufiice. The end member has a pair of tubular posts I, of the type ordinarily used in so-called iron beds, provided at their lower ends with suitable casters 2. Each post I is provided adjacent its upper end with a bracket 3 suitably attached to the post I, as by welding. The brackets 3 are co-axial, projecting toward one another from the posts I. Each bracket 3 has a male hinge plate 4 pinned in a female hinge plate 5 on the end of a brace rail 6. The meeting ends of the rails 6 are connected by male and female hinge plates I and 8, respectively. It will be noted (Figs. 1 and 3) that the parts are fabricated to permit the rails '6 to swing only downwardly from their horizontal positions. Each post I is provided at a suitable distance above its lower end with a bracket 9 attached to the post I, as by welding. The brackets 9 are coaxial, projecting toward one another from the posts I. Each bracket 9 has a male hinge plate It) pinned in a femal hinge plate I I on the end of a brace rail I2. The meeting ends of the rails I2 are connected by male and female hinge plates I3 and I4, respectively. It will be noted (Figs. 1 and. 3) that the parts are fabricated to permit the rails I2 to swing only upwardly from their horizontal positions. Each post I is provided, at a superior point adjacent the bracket 9, with a bracket I5 attached to the post I, as by welding. The brackets I5 are co-axial, projecting toward one another from the posts I. Each bracket I5 has a male hinge plate I6 pinned in a female hinge plate I! on the end of a brace rail I8. The

meeting ends of the rails I9 are connected by male and female hinge plates I9 and 29, respectively. It will be noted (Figs. 1 and 3) that the parts are fabricated to permit the rails I8 to swing only upwardly, from their relatively angular relation shown in Fig. l.

It will be noted (Fig. 1) that the common axis of the brackets 9 and the common axis of the brackets I5 lie in the same vertical plane, and (Fig. 2) that the common axis of the brackets 3 lies in avertical plane off-set from the first mentioned plane, thereby providing (Fig. 3) for the downward collapse of the rods 8 and the upward collapse of the rods I2 and I8, the shorter rods I2 nesting between the longer rods I8.

The pin 2| (Fig. 5) for the hinge plates I and 8 of the rods 6 has suspended therefrom (Figs. 1 and 5) a stirrup 22 from which there is suspended a brace rod. 23, its upper end 23-41 bearing against the bottom 22-11 of the stirrup 22 to which it is suitably pinned. The pin 24 (Fig. 5) for the hinge plates I9 and 20 of the rods [8 carries a stirrup 25 having a lug 26 projecting upwardly from the stirrup 25 and having an orifice 2T therethrough. The rod 23 has a lower end portion 28 bent normal to the remainder of the rod 23 and received in lug 26 through the orifice 21 and retained therein by a washer 29 and a cotter pin 39, when the bed is expanded.

Each post I is provided, at an inferior point immediately adjacent its bracket 2 with a bracket 3| attached to the post I, as by welding, its axis disposed normal to the axes of the brackets 9 and [5 (Fig. 2). It is obvious (Fig. 1) that the axes of the brackets 3| on the posts I of the member A and those of the member B are so related that the assembled and expanded elements A, B, C and D are rectangularly related. Each bracket 3| has a male hinge plate 32 pinned in a female hinge plate 33 on the end of a section 34 of one of the side rails C and D. To retain the sections 34 in expanded position, each section 34 has slidable thereon (Fig. 2) a sleeve 35 which is threaded on bracket 3 I. The meeting ends of the sections 34, of each of the rails C and D, are connected by male and female hinge plates 36 and 31, respectively. It will be noted (Figs. 1 and 4) that the parts are fabricated to permit the sections 34 to swing only upwardly from their horizontal positions.

The legs E and F are hinged to the rails C and D, respectively, by forks 38 pivoted on the pins 39 of the hinge plates 36 and 31.

Having described the structural details of my improved bed, I will now describe its operation. The bed being assembled and expanded (Fig. 1), it can be collapsed by releasing the end portions 28 of the rods 23, by removal of pins 30 therefrom. The portions 28 are then removed from the lugs 26, it being understood that the rods 23 are sufiiciently resilient to permit such movement. The end members A and B can then be collapsed, in planes normal to the side rails C and D (Fig. 3) the posts I being moved toward one another. The rods 6 will swing downwardly and the rods I2 and I8 upwardly. The sleeves 35 are turned oif of the threaded brackets 3| to release hinge plates 32 and 33 and the side rails C and D are collapsed in the vertical planes of their axes, the sections 34 swingin upwardly (Fig. 4), juxtaposing the collapsed end members A and B.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a bed, the combination of a pair of identical end members; and a pair of identical side members, said side members being hinged to said end members, each of said end members comprising a pair of posts, an upper brace rail, a lower brace rail, and an intermediate brace rail, all of said rails being hinged to said posts, each of said rails consisting of two relatively hinged portions for expansion and collapse of said end members, said upper rail collapsing only downwardly, and said lower and intermediate rails collapsing only upwardly, and releasable means for locking said portions in expanded relation, and each of said side members comprising two relatively hinged portions and releasable means for locking said portions of said side members in fixed relation.

2. In a bed, the combination of a pair of identical end members; and a pair of identical side members, said side members being hinged to said end members, each of said end members comprising a pair of posts, a brace rail hinged to said posts adjacent their upper ends, a second brace rail hinged to said posts adjacent their lower ends, a third brace rail hinged to said posts intermediate said first and second brace rails, each of said brace rails comprising two relative- 4 ly hinged portions for expansion and collapse of said end members, and releasable fastening means co-acting with said first and third brace rails when said portions are expanded for locking said portions in fixed relation.

3. In a bed, the combination of a pair of identical end members; and a pair of identical side members, said side members being hinged to said end members, each of said end members comprising a pair of posts, a brace rail hinged to said posts adjacent their upper ends, a second brace rail hinged to said posts adjacent their lower ends, a third brace rail hinged to said posts intermediate said first and second brace rails, each of said brace rails comprising two relatively hinged portions for expansion and collapse of said end members, said hinged portions of said first brace rail being adapted to collapse by swinging only downwardly, and said hinged portions of said second and third brace rails being adapted to collapse by swinging only upwardly, and releasable means to couple said first and third brace rails, when their portions are expanded, to prevent collapse of said portions.

4. In a bed, the combination of a pair of end members; and a pair of side members, said side members being connected to said end members, each of said end members comprising a pair of posts, an upper brace rail hinged to said posts, a lower brace rail hinged to said'posts, a third brace rail hinged to said posts intermediate said first and second brace rails, each of said brace rails comprising two relatively hinged portions for expansion and collapse of said end members, said hinged portions of said upper brace rail being adapted to collapse by swinging only downwardly, and said hinged portions of said second and third brace rails being adapted to collapse by swinging only upwardly, and releasable means to couple said first and third brace rails, when their portions are expanded, to prevent collapse of said portions.

GEORGE KALIL SAWAYA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 609,491 Ashwell Aug. 23, 1898 630,140 Varcoe Aug. 1, 1899 1,296,569 Takacs Mar. 4, 1919 2,400,155 Letschert et al May 14, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 6,109 Great Britain 1909 155,077 Great Britain Dec. 16, 1920 

